Hey Whited, serious question, 'cause I don't know the Libertarian position (and am too lazy to look it up) and I noticed that state colleges are included on the list - how should public colleges be defined/regulated? Should they truly be on a list such as this, that equates them to boards and associations of dam safety, mine reclamation, toxic substance control, state fire marshal, etc.?

Harper,Yeah. They should. Why do you need a teacher's license, a counseling license, a license to practice law, etc etc etc? 1) To act as a barrier to entry to anyone who might want to provide those services at a lower price (and make things better for everyone else), and...2) To provide full employment for those who teach teachers, counselors, lawyers, etc.

Online universities are now getting a ton of resistance from the state education bureaucracy. They can provide the same thing, but cheaper, and the established power structure in the schools doesn't like it one bit.

"For profit" colleges are just fine, but there are other choices. Most private colleges are nonprofit operations.

And many donors would provide charitable funding for needy students. Just look at the endowments of private colleges -- plus there are MANY outside educational charities. Imagine how many MORE there would be if it were not assumed that govt colleges will adequately subsidize the needy.

There's a little-understood purpose of the 480 commissions in California. It is where the patronage plums are stored.

Many of these commissions pay the appointed "commissioners" a six figure income (plus benefits) for what comes to at most one month's work, spread over the year.

These are popular gifts to termed out state politicians. Also they serve as bribes by Democrats to cull weak RINO's out of the Republican legislative herd -- to vote for Democrat state tax and spend measures.